Following her victory in Maryland's Senate race, Democrat Angela Alsobrooks has resigned from her old position as Prince George's County Executive.
“Thank you for your trust and partnership as we worked to build a stronger, united Prince George’s,” Alsobrooks said in a statement. “Serving the residents of this County has been the honor of my lifetime, and I am deeply proud of all we have accomplished together.”
A special election will be set to fil the vacancy in Prince George's County, which borders Washington D.C. The majority-black county is the second most populous in Maryland.
Alsobrooks defeated the state's former Republican governor Larry Hogan, in a closely watched Senate contest.
She will be the first black senator from Maryland, a state with a higher-than-average black population.
Hogan, a Never Trump Republican who was elected twice as governor, fell short in the Senate battle despite his overtures to liberals in the reliably Democratic state.
Alsobrooks' victory also came despite scandal. She was caught claiming tax credits she wasn't eligible for on a property her grandparents previously owned.
In the wake of her resignation, Alsobrooks is being showered with praise by current governor Wes Moore (D) and candidates for her county seat, which will be temporarily filled by Chief Administrative Officer Tara H. Jackson.
Already, three candidates have expressed interest: At-large County Councilmember Calvin Hawkins (D), County Council Chair Jolene Ivey (D), and Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy. All are Democrats.
"Prince George's County is at a crossroads. The next County Executive must tackle the housing affordability crisis, improve our schools, support our businesses, and work with the community and police to reduce crime," Ivey said in a statement.
In a statement, Governor Moore said, “Angela worked tirelessly to make Prince George’s County a safer, stronger place to call home – we’re deeply grateful for her effort and for the results she achieved."
“We look forward to continuing our work together to uplift Maryland families, protect fundamental freedoms, and build a brighter future for our state in her new role as U.S. Senator, as we welcome the opportunity to continue to serve the people of Prince George’s County alongside acting County Executive Tara Jackson."
County officials must formalize a date for the special election, which will probably fall in the winter.
The winner will serve the remaining two years of Alsobrooks' term.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
HIALEAH, Florida – After flipping by double digits in the 2024 election the former Democrat stronghold of Miami-Dade County, President-elect Donald Trump is now being honored by local officials with a street named for him.
Palm Avenue, a main thoroughfare in the Cuban-packed city of Hialeah, is now President Donald J. Trump Avenue.
The approval vote Tuesday from the county commission was 9 to 1, and Democrats could have blocked the measure as they hold seven of the 10 seats.
Trump had personally signed one of the street signs when attending a memorial service in Florida.
"Miami-Dade County strongly supported President Trump during the election, and this designation serves as a lasting tribute to his leadership and vision for our nation," Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera said on X.
Commissioner Marleine Bastien, a Haitian-American who represents northern Miami, was the sole vote against Trump Avenue.
"I respect the fact that President Trump won the popular vote, the Electoral College and Miami-Dade County," Bastien said, according to the Miami Herald.
"However, his victory does not erase the collective trauma that immigrants and citizens alike felt during this election cycle."
She specifically pointed to "falsehoods about Haitians eating cats and dogs in Ohio" and "derogatory comments about Haiti, Mexico, and some African countries in the past."
In both the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, Trump lost Miami-Dade County to Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, respectively.
"I want to thank the commissioners that supported this item, as well as the City Council of Hialeah who had endorsed this effort from the moment President Trump visited Hialeah," Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo said.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
There is outrage in New Jersey after a resident was booted from his local council meeting for holding up an American flag and Constitution, something local officials have banned as "props" from their gatherings.
Police escorted out Joel Bassoff, a lawyer from the Township of Edison after he displayed Old Glory as well as the nation's founding document, warning of potential legal action for the government's restriction of residents' free speech.
"I'm holding up an American flag to represent the constitutional values," Bassoff said.
"It's my constitutional right to do this," Bassoff said. "If you get sued, you will lose. My suggestion to you is that you get a second opinion from competent counsel because you are wrong."
"You are interfering with the decorum of this meeting by interfering with the right to speech of a member of the public. And it should stop now," he added, as fellow residents could be heard applauding.
Council President Nishith Patel warned Basoff about his "props" before saying: "His time is forfeited."
"Your time should be forfeited, your positions should be forfeited," Bassoff replied. "By your actions, you forfeit every right to preside over this meeting."
"He is in violation, he can be removed," Patel instructed officers.
"Shame on you!" Basoff shouted at the council.
Another resident could be heard saying: "Shame on the police for breaking their oath to the Constitution."
"To consider the American flag and the Constitution a prop when someone raises it is an insult to what the flag is, what the flag stands for, and what this country is," resident Maryann Hennessey told council members.
"For you to consider the use of the American flag a prop is disgusting."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A school in Nevada has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought on behalf of a child in the district who was forced by officials to read pornography – out loud – in class.
The resolution to the case is described by the American Center for Law and Justice as a "significant victory."
The basis of the lawsuit was that officials in Nevada's Clark County School District had forced a child to perform a pornographic monologue in a theater class, the legal team explained.
"After significant testimony was revealed in depositions, CCSD settled with us, affirming the rights of parents and students in the face of inappropriate educational content," the ACLJ announced.
The case was over the forced performance by a 15-year-old student, and a judge had rejected the school's demand that the case be dismissed.
The next step, then, was discovery, during which even school officials expressed shock over what had happened.
One, for example, said, "The content that [the client] performed, I believe, was inappropriate. … The overall content and language was not something that I felt should have been there."
And another admitted, "I do remember the first time I read it, being in shock. … What was written was not appropriate to be read and performed in a school setting. … And so it crossed the boundary."
School officials said even if parental permission had been requested, the reading still "never" would have been approved.
The student's mother became the plaintiff in the lawsuit, and explained she was forced into the action in order to document that her daughter "had nothing to do with creating this … ."
The district, on social media, had offered a misleading statement, that, "The Clark County School District is investigating the circumstances surrounding a class assignment consisting of a student-generated writing exercise that produced content not conducive to student instruction."
That resulted in a hate campaign against the student.
The student's parents responded, "This was an especially difficult time for our daughter. The reason her Dad didn't come to the school board meeting with me was that he was deployed overseas with the U.S. military for a year, then sent to Ft. Bliss for an additional year & a half, recovering from injuries. As any military family will tell you, life can be very difficult for the kids whose parents are deployed. We try to do everything we can to keep their spirits up, but it's not always easy. Her teacher knew this, but I guess it didn't matter to her, and we feel she took advantage of a 15-year-old who just wanted to be a good student and get good grades. Our daughter never wanted to be in the public spotlight for something like this, just like most teens would not want that, so this was all very overwhelming and not an easy journey for her."
The student now is in her first year of college, writing and singing her own songs.
The ACLJ noted that the Nevada legislature subsequently adopted a law that defines "sexual impropriety" by a teacher to include "sharing pornographic or sexually explicit materials," which is expected to allow teachers in future situations to be held accountable.
Details of the settlement were not disclosed.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
'These companies should only be maximizing returns for investors, not working to advance their radical climate change agenda by leveraging their holdings and pressuring American energy companies'
Multiple states have joined in a lawsuit against several major investors in the coal industry taking their climate change ideology too far – and threatening the nation's energy supply.
Fox News reports Wyoming, Texas, West Virginia, and eight other states have gone to court against BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard, charging the industrial investing giants bought into and then used their leverage with various coal companies to "artificially" limit the industry.
"These companies should only be maximizing returns for investors, not working to advance their radical climate change agenda by leveraging their holdings and pressuring American energy companies," charged West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey.
According to the report, he warned his state stood to be directly harmed by the actions alleged as coal-fired power plants account for nearly 90% of Mountaineers' electricity generation in 2022.
Other states that are plaintiffs in the case include Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, and Nebraska.
The West Virginia Office of Miners' Health & Safety reported that 55,000 West Virginians work in coal mines as of 2023.
Ken Paxton, the attorney general for Texas, said, "Texas will not tolerate the illegal weaponization of the financial industry in service of a destructive, politicized 'environmental' agenda.
"BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street formed a cartel to rig the coal market, artificially reduce the energy supply, and raise prices. Their conspiracy has harmed American energy production and hurt consumers. This is a stunning violation of state and federal law."
A report at Cowboy State Daily explained Wyoming's concerns.
The report said the lawsuit is over "three massive investors" who are accused of "colluding to downsize coal companies in the name of achieving net-zero carbon emissions, driving up energy prices for Americans, and monopolizing the market in the process."
The report explained the defendants "all acquired large percentages of major coal companies, then used their influence to bully the companies into cutting production."
A statement from Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon's office said the defendants, each, "have individually acquired substantial stockholdings in every significant publicly held coal producer in the United States. Each thereby has acquired the power to influence the policies of these competing companies and significantly diminish competition in the coal markets."
The defendants in 2021 had confirmed they would be activists in the climate agenda, with goals of cutting coal out of the energy production industry as much as possible.
Gordon said, "Under the guise of ESG policies, (the investors) have leveraged their holdings and voted their shares to artificially constrain the supply of coal and significantly diminish competition in the markets for coal, which resulted in increased energy prices for American consumers and extraordinary profits for the asset managers."
The case seeks a court declaration the companies "violated an anti-monopoly federal law; to award damages to the states; to stop the investors from using their stock, proxy voting or other means to restrain coal output; and make the investors pay civil fines and penalties for violating a Texas business law, among other penalties," the report said.
The investors own about 30% of Peabody Energy, 34% of Arch Resources, and small portions of other coal companies, like Black Hills Corp., the report said.
Congress, since 1914, has banned acquiring stock where the effect is to substantially lessen competition.
The report explained, "From 2019 through 2022, Peabody Energy's production fell by 34.7 million tons or 25.5%, says the complaint. Its revenues rose by $358.5 million during the same period, and its profits soared by $1.593 billion, or 853.9%. Arch Resources' production fell by 9.4 million tons over that timeframe, or 11.7%, while its revenues rose by $1.448 billion and its profits skyrocketed by $1.097 billion, or 469.2%, says the complaint."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Political analyst Bill Maher says he "may quit" his "Real Time" show due to the return of Donald Trump to the presidency.
The celebrity pundit recently hosted leftist actress Jane Fonda on his "Club Random" podcast and explained it would be impossible to avoid talking about Trump because politics are central to the HBO broadcast.
MAHER: I'm sh***ing my pants.
FONDA: It's hard to believe.
MAHER: I mean, I may quit because I don't want to do another … I did all the Trump stuff before anybody.
I called him a con man before anyone else; he's a mafia boss. I said he wasn't going to concede the election.
I've seen this f***ing …
FONDA: Then how come he's so hostile to Jimmy Kimmel and not to you?
MAHER: He's very hostile to me! He tweets about me every week! I mean, I'm bored with it.
FONDA: So, find a new thing to do.
MAHER: The show is the politics; there's no other thing, and he's going to dominate the news like he always does!
Cullen Linebarger at the Gateway Pundit noted: "If Maher does follow through and quit, this may prove the start of other far-left late-night hosts, such as Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, throwing in the towel. The only things America would miss are the tears."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
PALM BEACH, Florida – Chad Chronister, the Tampa-area sheriff nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to head the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA, bowed out of consideration Tuesday evening after pressure from conservatives for his arrest of a Christian pastor during lockdowns amid the COVID pandemic.
The sheriff of Hillsbourough County said on X: "To have been nominated by President-Elect @realDonaldTrump to serve as Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration is the honor of a lifetime. Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I've concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration.
"There is more work to be done for the citizens of Hillsborough County and a lot of initiatives I am committed to fulfilling. I sincerely appreciate the nomination, outpouring of support by the American people, and look forward to continuing my service as Sheriff of Hillsborough County."
On Saturday, Trump nominated Chronister, saying he would work with his attorney general pick, Pam Bondi, "to secure the Border, stop the flow of Fentanyl, and other Illegal Drugs, across the Southern Border."
As reported Sunday, in March 2020, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office released a press statement revealing that they had arrested local Tampa Bay church pastor Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne on two second-degree misdemeanors for unlawful assembly and violation of public health emergency rules. In a post on X from the Libertarian Party of Mississippi, the group called out Chronister's decision to arrest Howard-Browne, leading Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie to respond as well.
"I'm going to call 'em like I see 'em. Trump's nominee for head of DEA should be disqualified for ordering the arrest a pastor who defied COVID lockdowns," Massie wrote on X.
Conservative podcasters the Hodge Twins and journalist Mike Cernovich also called out Trump's choice on X, highlighting Chronister's COVID-19 stances at the time of the incident.
Media personality John Cardillo wrote on X that he had deleted his original post praising the Florida Sheriff after remembering that he is a "COVIDian Sheriff who arrested a pastor during services because 'COVID' to be prosecuted by Andrew Warren, the Soros funded prosecutor DeSantis removed from Office."
While Chronister had taken to social media to publicly thank Trump for the nomination and stated that he is "deeply humbled by this opportunity to serve our nation," podcaster Tim Pool instead called for him to serve prison time.
At the time of Howard-Browne's arrest, Chronister stated that while faith is important and authorities "would never impede on someone's ability to lean on their religious beliefs as a means of comfort," those practicing their beliefs must do so "safely."
"His reckless disregard for human life put hundreds of people in his congregation at risk and thousands of residents who may interact with them this week in danger," Chronister said. "The River at Tampa Bay has an advantage over most places of worship, because they have access to technology that allows them to live stream their services over the internet and broadcast television for the more than 4,000 members to watch from the safety of their homes."
In addition to the local pastor's arrest, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office released 164 inmates in March 2020 to help slow the spread of COVID-19 at the county jail.
"We want to protect our employees here. We want to protect the remainder of the jail population. We also feel these low-level, non-violent offenders will be better served at home with their families," Chronister said at the time.
However, only a day after their release, one of the inmates, 26-year-old Joseph Edwards Williams, was arrested again on charges of second-degree murder in connection to a homicide along with charges of felony firearm possession, heroin possession and resisting arrest.
"There is no question Joseph Williams took advantage of this health emergency to commit crimes while he was out of jail awaiting resolution of a low-level, non-violent offense," Chronister said after the incident. "As a result, I call on the State Attorney to prosecute this defendant to the fullest extent of the law."
President-elect Donald Trump's energy secretary nominee Chris Wright will resign from Oklo, a nuclear energy company in California backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman that has received $2.7 million in federal grants since 2023, the Trump-Vance team said.
It is considered a conflict of interest for any government official to sit on the board of a company that gets federal funding.
A Trump-Vance transition official told the Washington Examiner that Wright would be resigning from all corporate boards he sits on upon his confirmation to the position.
That includes Liberty Energy, where he is chairman of the board, and EMX Royalty Corp.
“All nominees and appointees will comply with the ethical obligations of their respective agencies,” Brian Hughes, a Trump-Vance transition spokesman, also said in a statement.
Trump's team finally signed transition documents on Tuesday pledging to work with the Biden administration on a transfer of power, and part of that pledge was to avoid conflicts of interest.
The energy secretary under Biden, Jennifer Granholm, came under fire for her husband owning stock in Ford Motor Company that she did not disclose.
She claimed she did not know about the stock until her husband sold it in May 2023.
She also got into trouble over whether she boosted electric busmaker Proterra's stock using her official position. She used to sit on the board of Proterra.
Back in 2021, Granholm had to sell 240,000 shares of Proterra for $1.6 million to avoid conflict of interest accusations.
A watchdog group filed a complaint against her, which brought both situations to light.
Granholm's ethical issues may be feeding the current anxiety over Wright.
“Unfortunately, given the track record of the current Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm allegedly flouting rules to divest of Ford stock and Proterra, it is natural for outside observers to be uneasy about how this will play out under a new administration,” Protect the Public’s Trust Director Michael Chamberlain told the Washington Examiner.
In Wright's case, Liberty Energy stock has gone up 6% since he was announced as a Trump nominee. If that doesn't tell us how much of an impact these conflicts can have, nothing will.
Every teenager has had moments where they felt embarrassed by their parents - even Barron Trump.
A video of President-elect Trump's youngest child smiling awkwardly at the Thanksgiving dinner table has gone viral - with some labeling the college freshman mortified by his father's dance moves.
In the clip, Donald raps the table to the beat of unofficial MAGA anthem "YMCA," then turns to ally Elon Musk to give a tap on the shoulder.
Musk reacts by pumping two fists in the air as Trump flashes a big grin and turns to Barron, seated next to his mother Melania Trump.
The famously stoic Barron appeared uncomfortable as the impromptu dance party went on - and then came to an abrupt stop.
🇺🇸Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!🇺🇸 https://t.co/CQMGaAODKq
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 29, 2024
The clip caused a stir online, as observers noted the peculiar dynamic between Trump and Musk, who has become a fixture at Mar-A-Lago after supporting Trump's successful bid for re-election.
While the video led to predictable jeers from critics, reactions were not necessarily negative.
Some saw the interaction as a wholesome, if awkward moment that humanizes the president-elect and his family.
“Barron’s thinking, ‘Okay, have we had enough of this song yet, Father?’” one user wrote. Another added, “The poor kid is stuck between his dad and Elon Musk—let him leave the table!”
On the campaign trail, Trump successfully created silly, viral moments that were celebrated for their humor and authenticity - with Trump famously donning a garbageman's outfit and performing a shift at McDonald's in an apron.
Trump has continued to influence popular culture, with his goofy dance moves inspiring imitators in professional sports and on TikTok.
While Barron does not show much of his personality to the public, he is said to have played a significant, if quiet, role in his father's historic re-election.
In particular, Barron has been credited with helping his father appeal to disenfranchised young men with a series of freewheeling podcast appearances.
It's hard to imagine Barron has anything but admiration for his father after Donald pulled off the greatest political comeback in American history. But Barron still has to absorb his fair share of uncomfortable family moments.
At the end of the day, the Trump family is a family like any other - and moments like these, while embarrassing, will be appreciated by many for their sincerity.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Christmas shopping was disrupted, and a traditional Christmas display was put in doubt by "pro-Palestine" protesters in Melbourne, Australia, recently.
Myer, an Australian retail giant, canceled the festive unveiling of its traditional Christmas window exhibit after "Pro-Palestine" protesters announced plans to hold a rally in front of the store. This was the 69th annual display and will remain until January.
The store released a statement explaining its decision:
"In light of recent developments and to ensure the wellbeing and safety of customers and team members, we will no longer hold an event on Bourke Street Mall for the unveiling of our Christmas windows," a spokesperson said.
"Myers' Christmas windows have long symbolized joy and community, and we remain committed to providing a safe and positive experience for all visitors."
In response, the protesters announced they would not hold their "Crash the Christmas Windows" protest, though a handful of flag-waving protesters continued to protest at the store in Melbourne's Central Business District, or CBD. Despite their announcement that they would not protest the unveiling on Sunday, a handful of protesters did attend, chanting, "While you're shopping, bombs are dropping," and "Shame on you" to passers-by.
Amy Settal, the protest organizer, explained their motives to the media.
"The intention was to interrupt the media spectacle and economic gain sought by Myer," Settal said. "The children coming to see the Myer Christmas windows were never a target because children are not a target."
"Pro-Palestine" group Disrupt Wars had shared the Crash the Christmas Windows event on its social media accounts.
"Christmas is canceled, and there will be no joy or frivolity while children in Gaza are massacred," a social media post read.
It is unclear what the connection is between Australian holiday retail and the war in the Middle East.
Jacinta Allan, the premier of Victoria, was furious over the decision, saying the group had "chosen to politicize a beautiful event for children."
"I'm just as mad at all the others who have quietly stoked this division and egged them on," she wrote on social media.
"Blocking the Christmas windows won't change a thing in the Middle East, but it will let down a bunch of kids in Melbourne. Who does that help?"
The premier said that while people had a "right to demonstrate," they did not have a "right to divide."
"We cannot let ugly protests ruin a beautiful Christmas tradition, and we cannot let violence, division and vilification ruin what makes Victoria great," Allan wrote.
Speaking on 3AW Radio, the premier singled out the Victorian Greens, accusing the political party of using "conflict in the Middle East to bring further division and conflict into Melbourne."
She said most Victorians were "sick of it."
In a related story, an antisemitic Tiktoker called on her 50,000 followers to "make Christmas Palestinian."
Fiona Ryan of Salisbury, England, was found guilty in September of posting anti-Semitic material. At her hearing at the Magistrates Court, she apologized but told District Judge Timothy Pattinson that the posts were not anti-Semitic. Her posts compared Ashkenazi Jews with Nazis and made false claims about Jewish doctors performing sex change procedures on children. She claimed her posts were protected as free speech.
Senior Crown Prosecutor Gavin Sumpter disagreed, stating,"Fiona Ryan sought to hide behind the right to freedom of speech, however, the court found that her posts and videos were grossly offensive."
"Her vile rhetoric reached a wide audience and has caused real harm in the Jewish community, the impact of which she was fully aware of," he added.
The judge ruled in favor of the prosecution, saying, "Any reasonable person would find all of this material featured in this trial grossly offensive" before finding her guilty on all four charges. Last week, she received a sentence of 20 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months.
She responded to the sentence by posting a TikTok video urging her followers to "make Christmas Palestinian."
Ryan was wearing a keffiyeh, a traditional Arab head covering, around her neck. Popularized by Yasser Arafat, the Egyptian founder of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, the keffiyeh has come to symbolize a call for violence against Israel.
"What I think we need to do is make Christmas Palestinian as much as we possibly can," Ryan said in the video. "That means decorating your tree with perhaps some Palestinian decorations, maybe telling your family, your children about how Jesus was a Palestinian, and how Christmas is a Palestinian story."
"Mostly, it's about supporting Palestinian businesses, whether that's with presents, whether that's through donations, however you want to do it."
"The most important message that we get out this year is that Christmas is Palestinian. Make Christmas Palestinian again … Do this. Let's make this Christmas the most Palestinian Christmas that ever was."
Islam believes in Jesus as a prophet. However, according to Islam, Jesus was not crucified, did not die on the cross, and was not resurrected. Instead, He is depicted as having been miraculously saved by God and ascending into heaven. However, Muslims do not celebrate Christmas.
Jesus as a Palestinian was an invention of Yasser Arafat's adviser, Hanan Ashrawi, a Christian, who said in an interview with the Washington Jewish Week on Feb. 22, 2001, that "Jesus was a Palestinian."
This became the official PLO platform as evidenced by their frequent reference to Jesus as "the first Palestinian martyr" and whose annual Christmas statement reads, "Every Christmas, Palestine celebrates the birth of one of its own: Jesus." This year, the Palestinian Authority prohibited public celebrations of Christmas in Bethlehem.
This false claim has been incorporated into Christian theology in what is called Liberation Theology. This portrays Jesus as a secular social justice warrior fighting the "Occupation."
Liberation Theology portrays Jesus as a Galilean Jewish revolutionary figure, aligning him with the marginalized and oppressed groups rather than the religious elite. The article suggests that the typical Christian understanding of Jesus obscures His ministry's political and social dimensions. The temple-state in Jerusalem is portrayed as oppressive toward the common people, especially Galileans, imposing heavy burdens through taxation and religious regulations.
It suggests Zionism, like earlier empires, disconnects Palestinians from their biblical heritage and homeland. Liberation Theology defines Jesus as a Palestinian living under Israeli occupation. It represents Christianity as a human-rights movement.